The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1887-08-11
UNDER THE GROUND.
A VISIT TO KENTUCKY'S WONDER,
MAMMOTH CAVE.
A Place No Snake Has Ever Visited,
Nor Mosquito; Nor L. There Sunshine
There - Rut All These Arc Plentiful
Near Mt Hand.
Special Correspondence J

AN'tf ~
Special Correspondence
MAMMOTH CAVE, Ky, Aug. o.-Nhot a
pity IL il this summer resort Is not few hun
dred miles nearer the center Of population.
There is no summer resort like Il in all the
land The country is marvelously beautiful,
though dry and hot The leaves have wilted
under the suns fierce rays, and every foot
fall stirs up small cloud Of fine, warm dust.
The mercury rises 10 the limit and induces
q feeling Of discomfort which even the ia
nous julep here compounded in all It's fra
grant glory fails 30 relieve The grass IS
green under tho many trees surround
ing the picturesque old hotel, aud the
verandas are swept by gentle breezes But
musquitoes abound, and there are rattle
snakes in the grass The guests Of the old inn
nbhor both the insect and the reptile, and
early in the morning seek an avenue Of es-
cape from the many evils which bcset them.
In this matches summer resort there is q
spot where no musquito ever buzzed, where
no snake was ever seen or heard, where 10
sun ever shone or summer heat penetrated.
II is down i'm the cave. Immediately after
breakfast the guests assemble at one end oil
the long hotel The men are attired III their
customary garments, but the women have
put on odd looking bloomer gowns which
make walking and climbing less difficult Tor
them than when in skirts Each guest seizes
an oil hanging lamp made of tim and wire,
with metal guard 30 protect the hand from
the flame All form in line behind smart
looking colored man, civilian the guide
and the journey IN search of comfort ana
wonder is begun.
Out through "A rose garden, down a sinuous
path into a deep and picturesque ravine the
procession winds presently hating before
black and grewsOme hole IL is the entrance
10 Mammoth cave. Already the visitors
feel the cooling influence of this famous curl
osity. Chills originating in vague appre-
bcnsiveness. chase each other up and down
scores of spinal columns A woman rebels
against her husbands authority, steps ont ol
the line. and declares that She "wouldnt 90
into that hole for all the world" He unieel-
ing, eager brute that he IS, hires a colored
man 10 escort her back 20 the hotel, ana re-
sumes his placein the lire. A young man from
Boston inquiries of the guide if 1t is all dark
down in the cave, and anil the ttterng oI
his neighbors declares that he never would
have come a step had he supposed the cave
was totally devoid Of daylight But now the
IaInps have been lighted. the colorcd man
erie, ont "All ready-march" and the jour
uev into the bowels of the earth begins.
II isa noble vestibule which nature has
placed al the entrance % this wonderful cav
ern Amid tulip trees, grape vines naples
and buitenuts, fringing fern, nnd green
moses is the gateway T. tins Underground
palace Here tree roots have twisted theill-
selves into fantastic shapes. and from the
rocks overhcada tiny cascade, fed bysplngs'
falls continually into the gorge below. The
descent is no sooner begun than the visitors
feel a current of cool air rushing out 20 greet
them Thi, is the caves greeting-a pleasant
forenlnncr of the depths within Down,
down walk the explorers, their feet finding
finn stepping places Ina the rocky stairway,
and the long line of moving lamps making
pleasing picture for those whoremain behind
Soon straight low gallery is reached,
where the walls are no more than ten
feet apart, and the roof so low
that tall men find it necessary to stoop Here
the guide halts his wards, and as the visitors
one by one struggle up they are surprised l"
find before them a heavy gate, securely las
tened by big paddock. This Is the inner
gate 10 the underground palace, the place
where the tolls are collected and the visiting
parties finally organized Here each visitor
desiring % take the "lOng route Wlthih hluSI
nav g 10 the agent of tine caves owners
while those who wish to take only the short
route" are let off with s.. These prelimina-
ries being arranged, the big gate Is opened
and. with IA chorus Of merry cries, the eX-
plorers are about TO spring forward TO begin
their Journey in earnest, when another matt
is called.
"Oh, OH my lamp is outr screams tiinid
little woman. Others make the same com
plaint And no wonder, for from the depths
within iushes "a wind as cool, comparatively,
AS Manitoba blizzard III December and
strong enough to blow ones hat from his
bsad All summer long this cool wind blows
ont the mouth Of the cave. Why Because
the tamperature without is from 50 90 100,
while that within is always at 80. I'm winter
the wind blows inwardly, the temperature
without the cave being then lower than
within.
Fxhilarated by the cooling draught the eX-
cursionists rush forward al a rapid pace, ut
tering many merry cries, and feeling midi
viluallv and collectively as II they could
eclipse race horse in speed or Guido noun
tain goat in rocl, climbing 1t is singular
fact that this Incompatible summer spot not
only offers its vOtaries an atmosphere of un-
failing coolncss, but an air SO charged with
oxygen that its inhalation produces an un-
mistakably exmlarating effect Chemical
processes are ever at work within the cavern,
penesa,ing oxygen aud throwing 1t upon the
air. OF course this expands the volume OF
the atmosphere, and in part accounts for the
powerful ont current which visitors first en-
counter at the big gate This oxygen is 50
potential that under It's benefcent influence
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